THE centre of Witney will be rocking to the sound of six live acts on Friday night to launch the town’s new Christmas Fayre on Church Green on Friday.

Local outfits West Oxfordshire Academy of Performing Arts, Voice Box choir, Henry Box School Choir, blues duo Adina and Johnson, St Mary’s School Singers and Witney Town Band are all set to strut their stuff at the even organised by the town's Lions Club from 5pm to 8.30pm.

Halfway through the evening, at 6.30pm, there will be an interval when Father Christmas will arrive on a sleigh and hand out sweets to children.

Meanwhile, the east side of Church Green will be packed with 20 stalls, offering a wide variety of Christmas gifts and seasonal food and drink.

A mobile bar, sponsored by the town's Wychwood Brewery, will have a selection of beer, lager and wine plus mulled cider and mulled wine will be on sale in The Fleece bar and hotel.

A fairground roundabout will be put at the top end of the Green to entertain youngsters and there will be loots of stall selling gifts and other seasonal items.

The Christmas Fayre, the first to be held, is the brainchild of Witney Lions Club, which stepped in after Witney Town Council announced that it was cancelling its Christmas lights switch-on because of concerns over safety, due to the size of the crowd last year.

The Lions Club has helped organise many other local events, including Witney Carnival, Witney Music Festival and last year’s Beacon Bonanza for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Witney Rotary Club is also stepping up to the challenge by providing a barbecue.

Witney Lions Club president Rod Attewell said: "This is a new, free-to-enter, Christmas event being staged by our club for the people of Witney and surrounding villages.”

He added: “When the town council said they were not able to stage their Christmas Lights event this year and asked local organisations to assist with new events, our club stepped in with a Witney Christmas Fayre.

“We have invited local schools, charities and clubs to run stalls offering festive food, drink and gifts.

“There’s a stage with local choirs, bands and groups performing Christmas music during the evening and the highlight will be Father Christmas arriving on the club’s sleigh to hand out sweets to the children.

“Our club already stages other free events in the town during the year and we hope this new event will be something for residents of Witney and the surrounding villages to look forward too each year.

“Our club is covering the cost of staging this event and, as we are a charity, can I please ask everyone to visit the Lions Club bar, so that we have an income to continue with our charitable work in the town next year.”

One of the Lions Club team helping to organise the evening is events coordinator Chrissie Day.

She said: “We wanted something that would be a very traditional Christmas event that would offer something for the whole family.

“The idea came of asking local artists to perform and run stalls and we’ve been delighted at how many people have come forward to get involved and help.”

"Each of the acts will have a half-hour slot and there will be a break half-way through, when Father Christmas will arrive on his sleigh with sweets for the children.”

  • Another celebration of Christmas in Witney, which takes place on Friday, December 6, is the Mayor’s Christmas carol concert.

Starting at 7pm at St Mary’s Church, it will include a performance by students from the West Oxfordshire Academy of Performing Arts, Witney Town Band and Springfield School choir.

It will be one of the highlights of Witney Mayor Peter Dorward’s calendar.
After the service, there will be a lantern parade to Market Square for the blessing of the town’s Christmas tree.

Witney Rotary Club will provide a BBQ of burgers and hot dogs on the evening.

Rotary fundraising chairman John Milne said: “We are delighted to be taking part in the mayor’s Christmas carol concert on December 6 and also at Witney’s Christmas Fayre.”